Rush hour traffic gridlock

Traffic lights stuck on red resulted in a junction on the M20 being gridlocked for about four hours on Tuesday evening.

It happened at the Ashford South turn-off on junction 10 where it meets the A20 at about 4.45pm.

A problem with the lights at the junction – with reports that they were stuck mostly on red – caused the misery.

Traffic was backed up all the way to the Ashford/Faversham turn-off on junction 9 and on the A2070 Kennington Road to Yeoman Gardens as engineers attempted to fix the problem.

Traffic around the town was also gridlocked as a knock-on effect, with drivers desperate to find alternative routes in all directions.

A crash involving two cars at junction 10 westbound also added to delays with one lane of the carriageway blocked for about 30 minutes.

Some drivers reported being stuck between the two junctions for an hour and a half, while ambulances were also caught up in the delays.

Highways England said the traffic lights had been fixed and traffic was easing by 8.40pm.

The company tweeted saying: “The traffic lights at J10 of #M20 nr #Ashford have been repaired and are working. Traffic and delays have eased, thanks for your patience.”

The traffic lights on the roundabout have been a headache for motorists for years.

Over Christmas, the lights were out for weeks, meaning drivers and pedestrians had to judge oncoming traffic on the busy roundabout before setting off, rather than use the signals.

Multiple sets of lights had previously been out in September due to a power fault.

In recent months, residents have expressed safety concerned, with lorries swerving in and out of lanes due to the out-of-sync traffic lights.

Readers Jon Morrissey and Richard Lloyd, both from Aldington, noted at the beginning of the year that the lights were only green for about seven or eight seconds at a time, meaning that only one lorry or a handful of cars could pass through at a time from the sliproad which often has long queues.

Hundreds of motorists have claimed time and time again that the traffic flows more smoothly without the lights on, and have called for them to be switched off for good.

What do you think? Write to Kentish Express, Unit 4, Park Mall Shopping Centre, Ashford TN24 8RY or email kentishexpress@ thekmgroup.co.uk